Dustin Rhodes publicly apologizes to Mustafa Ali for a social media controversy

Dustin Rhodes has been at the center of controversy this month on social media. It all started when the All Elite Wrestling talent reacted to a tweet from a user known as JustJenRX (a supporter of the MAGA movement in the United States), who posted a photo wearing a t-shirt with the women's restroom symbol and the slogan "Come and Take It" while carrying a firearm. The tweet was accompanied by a brief message: "Hey, ISLAM. Come and take it. I dare you".

The comment, with Islamophobic and transphobic undertones, received hundreds of responses, including one from Rhodes, who responded with a heart emoji and a 'rock on' emoji. Criticism towards the wrestler was swift, including a reprimand from Mustafa Ali. "I have immense respect for you and your family. Showing support for something like this is truly disappointing", wrote the TNA Wrestling talent.

Dustin quickly deleted his response and apologized for what happened. The veteran wrestler stated that he had only noticed the firearm in the photo and had not read the accompanying comment. Of course, Rhodes made it clear that he does not share the hateful opinions of the user in question.

"I apologize for liking a photo of a firearm. I did not read the caption and that is my fault. I am in no way a racist person, and you all know it. We all bleed red. Honestly, I just liked the firearm in the photo, nothing more. I apologize from the bottom of my heart," he wrote in a tweet.

"You can think what you want, but I have selective reading. It's not a joke. Once again, I'm sorry for not reading the post. I am 110% against what she said after seeing it. I am being honest," he added in a second tweet.

Later, Rhodes directly apologized to Ali. "My apologies, Mustafa Ali. I am not that person. I really liked the photo. I did not read the caption and I do not agree with that at all", he wrote.

"I appreciate the apology, but be careful with posts containing 'anti-whatever' rhetoric. Normalizing that is dangerous for all of us. Take care, Dustin," Ali responded to put an end to the controversy.